Multi-position electrical switch
First Claim
1. A multi-position control switch for controlling rearview mirrors of a motor vehicle, comprising a casing and a printed circuit board supporting an array of stationary contacts;
- an insulating rubber sheet covering the top side of the printed circuit board and carrying an array of movable contacts arranged opposite said stationary contacts;
a control knob having a bottom side supported on said rubber sheet in the region of said array of movable contacts;
a cylindrical projection attached to a central part of said bottom side of the knob and extending into an opening in said rubber sheet;
said knob being tiltable from a rest position in which all movable contacts are spaced apart from said stationary contacts, into predetermined tilted positions in which said bottom side resiliently compresses a portion of said rubber sheet to connect corresponding movable contacts with the opposite stationary contacts;
a plurality of pin-shaped stoppers attached to said bottom side to delimit the tilting movements of said knob by contacting through cutouts in the insulating rubber sheet with the printed circuit board in the respective tilted positions;
at least the portions of said bottom side which act on said movable contacts being inclined such as to evenly engage a depressed region of said rubber sheet when the knob is in a tilted position; and
the free end face of said cylindrical projection being formed with a plurality of inclined surface sections each being oriented such as to fully engage the printed circuit board when said knob is in a tilted position.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
The multi-position electrical switch includes a printed circuit (PC) board arranged in a casing and supporting an array of stationary contacts encircling a light emitting element fixed on the PC board. A resilient rubber sheet covers the PC board and supports an array of movable contacts arranged opposite the stationary contacts. A control knob having a central opening rests on the rubber sheet in the region of the movable contacts. The bottom of the knob is formed with a tubular projection communicating with the central opening of the knob and extending to the level of an opening in the rubber sheet around the light emitting element. The bottom of the knob is provided with four pin-shaped stoppers which delimit the tilting movement of the knob in four directions and the pressing surface portions of the bottom are inclined such as to evenly engage a depressed region of the rubber sheet when the knob is tilted in one of the four directions and the corresponding movable contacts are lowered and pressed against the opposite stationary contacts. The annular end face of the tubular projection has four inclined sections oriented according to the four tilting directions. In a tilted position of the knob, a corresponding inclined section fully engages the flat surface of the PC board thus safeguarding the actuation of the selected contacts only.
71 Citations
8 Claims
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1. A multi-position control switch for controlling rearview mirrors of a motor vehicle, comprising a casing and a printed circuit board supporting an array of stationary contacts;
- an insulating rubber sheet covering the top side of the printed circuit board and carrying an array of movable contacts arranged opposite said stationary contacts;
a control knob having a bottom side supported on said rubber sheet in the region of said array of movable contacts;
a cylindrical projection attached to a central part of said bottom side of the knob and extending into an opening in said rubber sheet;
said knob being tiltable from a rest position in which all movable contacts are spaced apart from said stationary contacts, into predetermined tilted positions in which said bottom side resiliently compresses a portion of said rubber sheet to connect corresponding movable contacts with the opposite stationary contacts;
a plurality of pin-shaped stoppers attached to said bottom side to delimit the tilting movements of said knob by contacting through cutouts in the insulating rubber sheet with the printed circuit board in the respective tilted positions;
at least the portions of said bottom side which act on said movable contacts being inclined such as to evenly engage a depressed region of said rubber sheet when the knob is in a tilted position; and
the free end face of said cylindrical projection being formed with a plurality of inclined surface sections each being oriented such as to fully engage the printed circuit board when said knob is in a tilted position. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
- an insulating rubber sheet covering the top side of the printed circuit board and carrying an array of movable contacts arranged opposite said stationary contacts;
Specification